Types of Muscle | Muscles Theory | Muscles | Anatomy & Physiology Anatomy & Physiology There are three types of muscle found in the human body: Skeletal Muscle Cardiac Muscle (heart muscle) Skeletal muscle Skeletal Muscles are those which attach to bones and have the main function of contracting to facilitate movement of our skeletons. They are also sometimes known as striated muscles due to their appearance. The cause of this 'stripy' appearance is the bands of Actin and Myosin which form the Sarcomere, found within the Myofibrils. Skeletal muscles are also sometimes called voluntary muscles, because we have direct control over them through nervous impulses from our brains sending messages to the muscle. Contractions can vary to produce powerful, fast movements or small precision actions. Skeletal muscles also have the ability to stretch or contract and still return to their original shape. Skeletal muscle fibre type Not all fibres within Skeletal muscles are the same. Different fibre types contract at different speeds, are suited to different types of activity and vary in colour depending on their Myoglobin (an oxygen carrying protein) content.

Smooth muscle Smooth muscle is also sometimes known as Involuntary muscle due to our inability to control its movements, or Unstriated as it does not have the stripy appearance of Skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs such as the Stomach, Oesophagus, Bronchi and in the walls of blood vessels. This muscle type is stimulated by involuntary neurogenic impulses and has slow, rhythmical contractions used in controlling internal organs, for example, moving food along the Oesophagus or contricting blood vessels during Vasoconstriction. Cardiac muscle (heart muscle) This type of muscle is found solely in the walls of the heart. It has similarities with skeletal muscles in that it is striated and with smooth muscles in that its contractions are not under conscious control. However this type of muscle is highly specialised. It is under the control of the autonomic nervous system, however, even without a nervous imput contractions can occur due to cells called pacemaker cells. Cardiac muscle is highly resistant to fatigue due to the presence of a large number of mitochondria, myoglobin and a good blood supply allowing continuous aerobic metabolism.

BBC Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Muscles Layer Skeletal muscle: Produces movement, maintains posture, stabilises joints and generates heat Smooth muscle: Found in the walls of hollow organs Cardiac muscle: Exists only in your heart Three types of muscle You've got around 650 muscles in your body, and they make up roughly half of your bodyweight. These muscles can be divided into three different groups: skeletal, smooth and cardiac. All of these muscles can stretch and contract, but they perform very different functions. Skeletal muscle The tissue most commonly thought of as muscle is skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscles cover your skeleton, giving your body its shape. They are attached to your skeleton by strong, springy tendons or are directly connected to rough patches of bone. Skeletal muscles are under voluntary control, which means you consciously control what they do. Just about all body movement, from walking to nodding your head, is caused by skeletal muscle contraction. Your skeletal muscles function almost continuously to maintain your posture, making one tiny adjustment after another to keep your body upright. Skeletal muscle is also important for holding your bones in the correct position and prevents your joints from dislocating.

Some skeletal muscles in your face are directly attached to your skin. The slightest contraction of one of these muscles changes your facial expression. Skeletal muscle generates heat as a by-product of muscle activity. This heat is vital for maintaining your normal body temperature. Smooth Muscle Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs like your intestines and stomach. They work automatically without you being aware of them. Smooth muscles are involved in many 'housekeeping' functions of the body. The muscular walls of your intestines contract to push food through your body. Muscles in your bladder wall contract to expel urine from your body. Smooth muscles in a woman's uterus (or womb) help to push babies out of the body during childbirth. The pupillary sphincter muscle in your eye is a smooth muscle that shrinks the size of your pupil. Cardiac Muscle Your heart is made of cardiac muscle. This type of muscle only exists in your heart. Unlike other types of muscle, cardiac muscle never gets tired. It works automatically and constantly without ever pausing to rest. Cardiac muscle contracts to squeeze blood out of your heart, and relaxes to fill your heart with blood.

The Three Types of Muscles in Human Body | LIVESTRONG.COM The Three Types of Muscles in Human Body by RACHEL NALL Last Updated: Apr 23, 2015 Rachel Nall Rachel Nall began writing in 2003. She is a former managing editor for custom health publications, including physician journals. She has written for The Associated Press and "Jezebel," "Charleston," "Chatter" and "Reach" magazines. Nall is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Tennessee. A man building muscle mass at the gym. Photo Credit Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Getty Images Overview Although you have more than 600 muscles in your body, there are only three types of muscle: smooth, cardiac and skeletal. Each muscle helps to keep you in motion, your heart beating or signal a natural response in your body, such as the ability to keep your eyes focused. Smooth Muscle Smooth muscles are also known as involuntary muscles, meaning a person cannot physically will them to move. Instead, smooth muscles are controlled by involuntary responses in the brain and body.

One example of smooth muscle is the digestive system, where muscles in the esophagus contract to move food down to the stomach and tighten when you have an illness that causes you to vomit. Other examples of smooth muscle include the uterus, the bladder and the muscle behind the eyes that keeps your eyes focused. In terms of appearance, smooth muscles are long, thin-shaped cells attached to bones in the body. Smooth muscles are also found in the blood vessels, helping blood to move around the body. Cardiac Muscle Cardiac muscle is also known as myocardium. Similar to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle is an involuntary muscle. These muscles are thickened because they must contract frequently to move blood in and out of the heart. Cardiac muscle cells are quadrangular in terms of shape, and the muscles have striations resembling stripes or lines running through them. Skeletal Muscle Skeletal muscles are the voluntary muscles that allow you to control the movements of your body. Skeletal muscles also are striated and comprise the musculoskeletal system. These muscles are attached to your bones via tendons, which are cords of tissue. In order to move, your skeletal muscles, tendons and bones all must work together.

Skeletal muscles come in different shapes and sizes, as evidenced by a weightlifter's large muscles. Other skeletal muscles in the body you may not be as aware of include those in the neck or face. Even your tongue contains skeletal muscles. Major skeletal muscles in the body include the deltoids (shoulders); pectorals (chest); abdominals (stomach); quadriceps (thighs); and gluteal muscles (buttocks). Skeletal muscles often work in pairs, such as the biceps, which bend the arms, which work with the triceps, which straighten the arms. Related Searches Lose Weight. Feel Great Change your life with MyPlate by LIVESTRONG.COM GOAL Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week GENDER Your Muscles Your Muscles Tus músculos Did you know you have more than 600 muscles in your body? They do everything from pumping blood throughout your body to helping you lift your heavy backpack.

You control some of your muscles, while others — like your heart — do their jobs without you thinking about them at all. Muscles are all made of the same material, a type of elastic tissue (sort of like the material in a rubber band). Thousands, or even tens of thousands, of small fibers make up each muscle. You have three different types of muscles in your body: smooth muscle, cardiac (say: KAR-dee-ak) muscle, and skeletal (say: SKEL-uh-tul) muscle. Smooth Muscles Smooth muscles — sometimes also called involuntary muscles — are usually in sheets, or layers, with one layer of muscle behind the other. You can't control this type of muscle. Your brain and body tell these muscles what to do without you even thinking about it. You can't use your smooth muscles to make a muscle in your arm or jump into the air. But smooth muscles are at work all over your body. In your stomach and digestive system, they contract (tighten up) and relax to allow food to make its journey through the body. Your smooth muscles come in handy if you're sick and you need to throw up.

The muscles push the food back out of the stomach so it comes up through the esophagus (say: ih-SAH-fuh-gus) and out of the mouth. Smooth muscles are also found in your bladder. When they're relaxed, they allow you to hold in urine (pee) until you can get to the bathroom. Then they contract so that you can push the urine out. These muscles are also in a woman's uterus, which is where a baby develops. There they help to push the baby out of the mother's body when it's time to be born. You'll find smooth muscles at work behind the scenes in your eyes, too. These muscles keep the eyes focused. continue A Hearty Muscle The muscle that makes up the heart is called cardiac muscle. It is also known as the myocardium (say: my-uh-KAR-dee-um). The thick muscles of the heart contract to pump blood out and then relax to let blood back in after it has circulated through the body. Just like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle works all by itself with no help from you. A special group of cells within the heart are known as the pacemaker of the heart because it controls the heartbeat.

Skeletal Muscle Now, let's talk about the kind of muscle you think of when we say "muscle" — the ones that show how strong you are and let you boot a soccer ball into the goal. These are your skeletal muscles — sometimes called striated (say: STRY-ay-tud) muscle because the light and dark parts of the muscle fibers make them look striped (striated is a fancy word meaning striped). Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, which means you can control what they do. Your leg won't bend to kick the soccer ball unless you want it to. These muscles help to make up the musculoskeletal (say: mus-kyuh-low-SKEL-uh-tul) system — the combination of your muscles and your skeleton, or bones. Together, the skeletal muscles work with your bones to give your body power and strength. In most cases, a skeletal muscle is attached to one end of a bone. It stretches all the way across a joint (the place where two bones meet) and then attaches again to another bone. Skeletal muscles are held to the bones with the help of tendons (say: TEN-dunz).

Tendons are cords made of tough tissue, and they work as special connector pieces between bone and muscle. The tendons are attached so well that when you contract one of your muscles, the tendon and bone move along with it. Skeletal muscles come in many different sizes and shapes to allow them to do many types of jobs. Some of your biggest and most powerful muscles are in your back, near your spine. These muscles help keep you upright and standing tall. They also give your body the power it needs to lift and push things. Muscles in your neck and the top part of your back aren't as large, but they are capable of some pretty amazing things: Try rotating your head around, back and forth, and up and down to feel the power of the muscles in your neck. These muscles also hold your head high. previous continue Face Muscles You may not think of it as a muscular body part, but your face has plenty of muscles. You can check them out next time you look in the mirror. Facial muscles don't all attach directly to bone like they do in the rest of the body. Instead, many of them attach under the skin.

This allows you to contract your facial muscles just a tiny bit and make dozens of different kinds of faces. Even the smallest movement can turn a smile into a frown. You can raise your eyebrow to look surprised or wiggle your nose. And while you're looking at your face, don't pass over your tongue — a muscle that's attached only at one end! Your tongue is actually made of a group of muscles that work together to allow you to talk and help you chew food. Stick out your tongue and wiggle it around to see those muscles at work. Major Muscles Because there are so many skeletal muscles in your body, we can't list them all here. But here are a few of the major ones: In each of your shoulders is a deltoid (say: DEL-toyd) muscle. Your deltoid muscles help you move your shoulders every which way — from swinging a softball bat to shrugging your shoulders when you're not sure of an answer. The pectoralis (say: pek-tuh-RAH-lus) muscles are found on each side of your upper chest. These are usually called pectorals (say: PEK-tuh-rulz), or pecs, for short.

When many boys hit puberty, their pectoral muscles become larger. Many athletes and bodybuilders have large pecs, too. Below these pectorals, down under your ribcage, are your rectus abdominus (say: REK-tus ab-DAHM-uh-nus) muscles, or abdominals (say: ab-DAHM-uh-nulz). They're often called abs for short. When you make a muscle in your arm, you tense your biceps (say: BYE-seps) muscle. When you contract your biceps muscle, you can actually see it push up under your skin. Your quadriceps (say: KWAD-ruh-seps), or quads, are the muscles on the front of your thighs. Many people who run, bike, or play sports develop large, strong quads. And when it's time for you to take a seat? You'll be sitting on your gluteus maximus (say: GLOOT-ee-us MAK-suh-mus), the muscle that's under the skin and fat in your behind!

Muscular System: Facts, Functions & Diseases Muscular System: Facts, Functions & Diseases By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Live Science Contributor | March 11, 2016 07:35pm ET MORE While most people associate muscles with strength, they do more than assist in lifting heavy objects. The 650 muscles in the body not only support movement — controlling walking, talking, sitting, standing, eating and other daily functions that people consciously perform — but also help to maintain posture and circulate blood and other substances throughout the body, among other functions. Muscles are often associated with activities of the legs, arms and other appendages, but muscles also produce more subtle movements, such as facial expressions, eye movements and respiration, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). [ Image Gallery: The BioDigital Human ] Three types of muscles The muscular system can be broken down into three types of muscles: skeletal, smooth and cardiac, according to the NIH. Skeletal muscles are the only voluntary muscle tissue in the human body and control every action that a person consciously performs.

Most skeletal muscles are attached to two bones across a joint, so the muscle serves to move parts of those bones closer to each other, according to The Merck Manual . Visceral, or smooth, muscle is found inside organs such as the stomach and intestines, as well as in blood vessels. It is called a smooth muscle because, unlike skeletal muscle, it does not have the banded appearance of skeletal or cardiac muscle. The weakest of all muscle tissues, visceral muscles contract to move substances through the organ, according to The Merck Manual. Because visceral muscle is controlled by the unconscious part of the brain, it is known as involuntary muscle, as it cannot be controlled by the conscious mind. Found only in the heart, cardiac muscle is an involuntary muscle responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, according to The Merck Manual. The heart's natural pacemaker is made of cardiac muscle that signals other cardiac muscles to contract. Like visceral muscles, cardiac muscle tissue is controlled involuntarily. While hormones and signals from the brain adjust the rate of contraction, cardiac muscle stimulates itself to contract. Muscle shapes Muscles are further classified by their shape, size and direction, according to the NIH. The deltoids, or shoulder muscles, have a triangular shape.

The serratus muscle, which originates on the surface of the second to ninth ribs at the side of the chest, and runs along the entire anterior length of the scapula (shoulder blades), has a distinctive sawlike shape. The rhomboid major, which attaches the scapula to the spinal column, is a diamond shape. Size can be used to differentiate similar muscles in the same region. The gluteal region (the buttocks) contains three muscles differentiated by size: the gluteus maximus (large), gluteus medius (medium) and gluteus minimus (smallest), the NIH noted. The direction in which the muscle fibers run can be used to identify a muscle. In the abdominal region, there are several sets of wide, flat muscles, according to the NIH. The muscles whose fibers run straight up and down are the rectus abdominis, the ones running transversely (left to right) are the transverse abdominis and the ones running at an angle are the obliques. As any exercise enthusiast knows, obliques are among the hardest muscles to develop to achieve "six-pack" abs. Muscles also can be identified by their function.

The flexor group of the forearm flexes the wrist and the fingers. The supinator is a muscle that allows you to roll your wrist over to face palm up. Adductor muscles in the legs adduct, or pull together, the limbs, according to the NIH. Diseases of the muscular system There is no single type of doctor that treats muscular diseases and disorders. Rheumatologists, orthopedists and neurologists may all treat conditions that affect the muscles, according to the American Medical Association . There are a number of common neuromuscular disorders, according to Dr. Robert Schabbing, chief of neurology at Kaiser Permanente in Denver. Common primary muscle disorders include inflammatory myopathies, including polymyositis, which is characterized by inflammation and progressive weakening of the skeletal muscles; dermatomyositis, which is polymyositis accompanied by a skin rash; and inclusion body myositis, which is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Other common disorders are muscular dystrophies and metabolic muscle disorders, he said. Muscular dystrophy affects muscle fibers.

Metabolic muscle disorders interfere with chemical reactions involved in drawing energy from food.Neuromuscular junction disorders impair the transmission of nerve signals to muscles, Schabbing noted. The most common neuromuscular junction disorder is myasthenia gravis, which is characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal muscles. Schabbing said. "There are many types of peripheral neuropathies that can be secondary to other medical conditions, such as diabetes, or due to a variety of other causes, including toxins, inflammation and hereditary causes," he said. Motor neuron disorders affect the nerve cells that supply muscles, Schabbing said. The most recognizable motor neuron disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Learn about the muscles that move your body and keep you alive. Credit: by Ross Toro, Infographics Artist Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment The most common symptom or sign of a muscle disorder is weakness, although muscle disorders can cause a number of symptoms, according to Schabbing. In addition to weakness, symptoms include abnormal fatigue with activity, as well as muscle spasms, cramping or twitching.

Neuromuscular disorders affecting the eyes or mouth can cause drooping eyelids or double vision, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or, sometimes, difficulty breathing. Electromyography — commonly referred to as an EMG — is often used to diagnose muscular disorders. An EMG helps characterize causes of nerve and muscle disorders by stimulating nerves and recording responses, Schabbing noted. Rarely, nerve or muscle biopsies are needed. Steroids and other medications can help to reduce spasms and cramping. Milder forms of chemotherapy can help treat many muscular disorders, according to Dr. Ricardo Roda, an assistant professor of neurology, neuroscience and physiology at NYU Langone Medical Center . Editor’s Note: If you’d like more information on this topic, we recommend the following book: Histology of muscle Histology of muscle Muscle function: ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 1.

contraction for locomotion and skeletal movement ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 2. contraction for propulsion 3. contraction for pressure regulation Muscle classification: muscle tissue may be classified according to a morphological classification or a functional classification. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Morphological classification (based on structure) There are two types of muscle based on the morphological classification system 2. Non striated or smooth. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Functional classification There are two types of muscle based on a functional classification system 2.ï¿½ Involuntary. Types of muscle: there are generally considered to be three types of muscle in the human body.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Skeletal muscle: which is striated and voluntary ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Cardiac muscle: which is striated and involuntary ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Smooth muscle: which is non striated and involuntary Characteristics of skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle cells are elongated or tubular. They have multiple nuclei and these nuclei are located on the periphery of the cell. Skeletal muscle is striated. That is, it has an alternating pattern of light and darks bands that will be described later. Characteristics of Cardiac muscle Cardiac muscle cells are not as long as skeletal muscles cells and often are branched cells.

Cardiac muscle cells may be mononucleated or binucleated. In either case the nuclei are located centrally in the cell. Cardiac muscle is also striated. In addition cardiac muscle contains intercalated discs. Characteristics of Smooth muscle Smooth muscle cell are described as spindle shaped. That is they are wide in the middle and narrow to almost a point at both ends. Smooth muscle cells have a single centrally located nucleus. Smooth muscle cells do not have visible striations although they do contain the same contractile proteins as skeletal and cardiac muscle, these proteins are just laid out in a different pattern. For the purposes of this class we will focus mainly on skeletal muscle. Shapes of skeletal muscles: 1.ï¿½ Parallel or fusiform: as their name implies their fibers run parallel to each other.ï¿½ These muscles contract over a great distance and usually have good endurance but are not very strong.ï¿½ Examples: Sartorius muscle and rectus abdominus muscle. 2.ï¿½ Convergent: the muscle fibers converge on the insertion to maximize the force of muscle contraction.ï¿½ Examples: Deltoideus muscle and Pectoralis Major muscle.

3.ï¿½ pennate: many fibers per unit area.ï¿½ These types of muscles are strong but they tie or quickly.ï¿½ There are three types of pennate muscle.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ unipennate ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ bipennate ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï

¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ multipennete 4.ï¿½ Circular: the muscle fibers surrounded opening to act as a sphincter.ï¿½ Examples: Orbicularis oris and Orbicularis oculi muscles.

5.ï¿½ fusiform: some texts classify parallel muscles that are slightly wider in their middle (spindle shaped) as fusiform. This term will not be used in this course.

Muscle terminology ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ myofiber or myocyte: a muscle cell ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sarcolemma: the plasma membrane of a muscle cell ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sarcoplasm: the cytoplasm of the muscle cell ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sarcoplasmic reticulum: the endoplasmic reticulum of a muscle cell ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sarcosome: the mitochondria of a muscle cell ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sarcomere: the contractile or functional unit of muscle For the purposes of this class we will focus mainly on skeletal muscle.

Muscles have three major areas: 1. a belly or Gaster 2. an origin: a tendinous connection of the muscle to a bone, usually the bone that is stabilized. 3. an insertion: a tendinous connection of the muscle to a bone, usually the bone to be moved. Skeletal muscle is designed as a bundle within a bundle arrangement.ï¿½ We will start with a whole muscle and then work our way down to the microscopic level of the muscle The entire muscle is surrounded by a connective tissue called the epimysium. The muscle is made up of smaller bundles known as fascicles. Fascicles are actually bundles of individual muscle cells (myofibers or myocytes). These bundles are surrounded by a connective tissue sheath called the perimysium. Each fascicle is made up of several muscle cells known as myocytes. They may also be called myofibers or muscle fibers. Each muscle cell is surrounded by a connective tissue sheath known as the endomysium. This sheath is very important in the physiology of muscle contraction because it electrically insulates the individual muscle cells from each other.

At the ends of the muscle all of the connective tissue sheaths (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium) converge to form a tendon which will connect the muscle to its attachment site. Each muscle fiber (muscle cell) contains all of the organelles that we find in other cell types. Although these organelles are the same as in other cells they are given special names. Note that the prefixes sarco and myo both refer to muscle. Therefore if you see a word with either of these prefixes you should immediately think MUSCLE. The nucleus contains the genetic material of the muscle cell. The sarcolemma is the name given to the plasma membrane of the muscle cell. There are specialized invaginations of the sarcolemma that run transversely across the cell. These invaginations are known as T tubules (short for transverse tubules). The T tubules are essential for carrying the depolarization brought to the cell by a motor nerve impulse down into the muscle cell where it can have an affect on the terminal cisternae. We will cover more about this in the unit on the physiology of muscle contraction. The cytosol is the cytoplasm of the muscle cell.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum is the endoplasmic reticulum of the muscle cell. There are sac-like regions of the sarcoplasmic reticulum known as terminal cisternae. The terminal cisternae act as calcium storage sites. The calcium ions stored in the terminal cisternae are essential in muscle contraction. We will cover more about this in the unit on the physiology of muscle contraction. NOTE: this is not calcium storage for use in general body physiology as we would see with bone tissue, but rather is calcium storage for muscle contraction. In skeletal muscle two terminal cisternae are associated with a T tubule to form a structure known as a triad. This differs from cardiac muscle where one terminal cisternae associates with one T tubule to form a diad. Mitochondria are sites of energy production (ATP synthesis) in the muscle cell as in all other cells of the body, except for mature red blood cells. A myofibril is a cylindrical bundle of contractile proteins found within the muscle cell. Note that there are several myofibrils within each muscle cell.

It is the arrangement of the contractile proteins within the myofibril that cause the striated appearance of skeletal and cardiac muscle. Myofibrils are composed of individual contractile proteins called myofillaments. These myofilaments are generally divided into thick and thin myofilaments. The thin myofilaments are composed mainly of a protein known as actin. Actin filaments are anchored into the z-line of a sarcomere. The thick myofilaments are composed mainly of the protein myosin. It is the orderly overlapping of the actin and myosin filaments that give cardiac and skeletal muscle their striated appearance (light and dark bands). The A band is the dark band and corresponds to the length of a bundle of myosin filaments. Because muscle contraction is a sliding of the myofilaments past each other we do not see any of the myofilaments actually shorten. However the width of the banding patterns change as the degree of overlap changes. Because the A band corresponds to the length of the myosin filaments, and these filaments do not shorten, the width of the A band also does not shorten. The light bands are known as I bands.

The I bands are composed mainly of actin filaments. Each I band is bisected by a protein disc known as the Z-line. Actin filaments are anchored into the Z-line. During muscle contraction the actin filaments slide over the myosin filaments which results in a shortening of the I band. In the middle of the A band is a somewhat lighter area known as the H zone. This zone corresponds to the area where we have myosin not overlapped by actin (the area between the thin filaments). During muscle contraction the actin sliding over the myosin encroaches into this area so that the H zone shortens. In the middle of the H zone we see a dark band known as the M line. The M line is comprised of protein fibers that function to anchor the myosin filaments. The area between two Z lines is known as a sarcomere. The sarcomere is the functional or contractile unit of muscle. To recap, a whole muscle if made up of many smaller bundles known as fascicles. Each fascicle is made up of many muscle cells (myofibers).

Myofibers contain cylindrical bundles of myofibrils which in turn contain many smaller bundles of myofilaments. Muscles contract when they receive a motor impulse from a motor nerve. These nerve impulses serve only a limited number of muscle fibers. The muscle fibers served by a single motor neuron make up a structure known as a motor unit. Motor units allow for selective contraction of muscle fibers so that we may control the strength and extent of muscle contraction. Without motor units a nerve impulse to the muscle would result in the entire muscle contracting to its full extent. That would make every motion that we make an ï¿½all or noneï¿½ motion. This type of movement would make life nearly impossible. Note that this diagram shows a neuromuscular junction of one motor neuron with one muscle fiber. In a motor unit the motor neuron branches to form neuromuscular junctions with several muscle fibers. To repeat, a motor neuron and all of the muscle fibers it supplies is called a MOTOR UNIT. Muscle Types | Learn Muscular Anatomy Tweet 3 Types of Muscle Tissue: The Function of Skeletal, Cardiac, and Smooth Muscle About half of your body’s weight is muscle.

In the muscular system, muscle tissue is categorized into three distinct types: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Each type of muscle tissue in the human body has a unique structure and a specific role. Skeletal muscle moves bones and other structures. Cardiac muscle contracts the heart to pump blood. The smooth muscle tissue that forms organs like the stomach and bladder changes shape to facilitate bodily functions. Here are more details about the structure and function of each type of muscle tissue in the human muscular system. 1. The Human Body Has Over 600 Skeletal Muscles That Move Bones and Other Structures Skeletal muscles attach to and move bones by contracting and relaxing in response to voluntary messages from the nervous system. Skeletal muscle tissue is composed of long cells called muscle fibers that have a striated appearance. Muscle fibers are organized into bundles supplied by blood vessels and innervated by motor neurons. 2. The Walls of Many Human Organs Contract and Relax Automatically Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs throughout the body. Smooth muscle contractions are involuntary movements triggered by impulses that travel through the autonomic nervous system to the smooth muscle tissue. The arrangement of cells within smooth muscle tissue allows for contraction and relaxation with great elasticity.

The smooth muscle in the walls of organs like the urinary bladder and the uterus allow those organs to expand and relax as needed. The smooth muscle of the alimentary canal (the digestive tract) facilitates the peristaltic waves that move swallowed food and nutrients. In the eye smooth muscle changes the shape of the lens to bring objects into focus. Artery walls include smooth muscle that relaxes and contracts to move blood through the body 3. Cardiac Muscle Contracts in Response to Signals from the Cardiac Conduction System The heart wall is composed of three layers. The middle layer, the myocardium, is responsible for the heart’s pumping action. Cardiac muscle, found only in the myocardium, contracts in response to signals from the cardiac conduction system to make the heart beat. Cardiac muscle is made from cells called cardiocytes. Like skeletal muscle cells cardiocytes have a striated appearance, but their overall structure is shorter and thicker. Cardiocytes are branched, allowing them to connect with several other cardiocytes, forming a network that facilitates coordinated contraction. Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles Muscle Facts for Kids Learn some fun muscle facts for kids.

The muscles in our body are responsible for keeping our heart beating and for all our physical movements. How many muscles do we have? What are the different types of muscles? What are the strongest muscles in our body? Read on and enjoy these interesting facts about our muscles. Muscle is a soft tissue in the body of humans and animals. Its main purpose is to produce force and motion. Muscles are responsible for maintaining posture, physical movement (sitting, walking, eating, etc), and movement of internal organs (such as keeping the heart pumping to circulate blood and moving food through the digestive system). The word muscle is derived from the Latin term musculus, meaning "little mouse". This Latin term could be due to the shape of some muscles or because muscles contracting under the skin can look like a mouse moving under a rug. Tendons connect our soft contracting muscle to our hard bones . There are around 650 skeletal muscles in the human body. There are three types of muscle, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. Skeletal muscles (or striated) are voluntary muscles that control nearly every action a person intentionally performs. Tendons attach the muscle to two bones across a joint, as one muscle contracts the other relaxes which moves the bones.

Skeletal muscle can be further divided into two types, slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch (Type I) muscle contain proteins that give it a rich red color. This muscle carries more oxygen efficiently and using fats , proteins or carbs as energy slow twitch muscle fibers contract over a long period of time. Therefore type I muscle fiber works well for aerobic sports such as long distance running and cycling. Fast twitch (Type II) muscle is whiter in color as it has less myoglobin (a oxygen carrying protein). Fast twitch fibers contract quickly and powerfully, however they fatigue rapidly. Therefore type II muscle fiber is useful for anaerobic exercise such as sprinting or for strength sports like weightlifting. Smooth muscle (or visceral) is involuntary, its not controlled by our conscious mind. It is found on the walls of many organs and structures such as the esophagus, stomach, intestines, bladder, and blood vessels. Smooth muscles contract to move substances such as food through the organ. Cardiac muscle is also an involuntary muscle. It is only found in the heart and is responsible for keeping the heart pumping. Muscle makes up around half of the total human body weight. Muscle tissue is also around 15% denser than fat tissue.

It takes 17 muscles in the face for us to smile and 43 muscles to frown. If muscle strength is regarded as the ability to use force on something then the jaw muscle (masseter) is the strongest in the body. The strongest muscles in relation to the job they have to do is the external muscles of the eye which are large and about 100 times stronger than they need to be in relation to the small size and weight of the eyeball. The tongue has 8 muscles, so is technically not the strongest muscle in the body. The heart cardiac muscle does the most work of any muscle over a lifetime. Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects balance and motor functions, while muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that damages muscle fibers. Muscle memory is created by practising an action over and over again. Our muscles fine tune themselves, becoming more precise and exact in what they do. So practice is very important when learning a sport!! Muscular Tissue - Structure and Functions of Human Tissue Types.

05 April 2016 - FDA Regulation for Food Safety during Transportation (USA) Structure and Functions of Muscular Tissue Note: This page is part of the section about the structure and function of different Tissue Types, which is related to the section about Histology and Cells (incl. structure of animal cells , cell division , mitosis , meiosis ). This "Tissue Types" section is included to complete description of the knowledge of "Histology - The Cell" required by some courses in First-Level Anatomy and Physiology. To read about other tissue types see the list of on the left. There are 3 types of muscle tissue: Skeletal muscle tissue, Cardiac muscle tissue, and Smooth muscle tissue. The structure of these muscle tissues can be described from the level of detail of the muscle fibres ( muscle cells ) through all the other muscle structures and parts of structures that bind muscle cells together enabling them to perform their functions. The functions of muscle tissues depend on the type of muscle tissues and their locations in the body.

Here is an overview of the 3 types of muscle tissues: (a) Skeletal Muscle Tissue SEER Training:Muscle Types In the body, there are three types of muscle: skeletal (striated), smooth, and cardiac. Skeletal Muscle Skeletal muscle, attached to bones, is responsible for skeletal movements. The peripheral portion of the central nervous system (CNS) controls the skeletal muscles. Thus, these muscles are under conscious, or voluntary, control. The basic unit is the muscle fiber with many nuclei. These muscle fibers are striated (having transverse streaks) and each acts independently of neighboring muscle fibers. Smooth Muscle Smooth muscle, found in the walls of the hollow internal organs such as blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, and uterus, is under control of the autonomic nervous system. Smooth muscle cannot be controlled consciously and thus acts involuntarily. The non-striated (smooth) muscle cell is spindle-shaped and has one central nucleus. Smooth muscle contracts slowly and rhythmically. Cardiac Muscle Cardiac muscle, found in the walls of the heart, is also under control of the autonomic nervous system.

The cardiac muscle cell has one central nucleus, like smooth muscle, but it also is striated, like skeletal muscle. The cardiac muscle cell is rectangular in shape. The contraction of cardiac muscle is involuntary, strong, and rhythmical. Smooth and cardiac muscle will be discussed in detail with respect to their appropriate systems. This unit mainly covers the skeletal muscular system.

Question: There are three types of muscle in the human body: Skeletal, Smooth and which other?
Answer: Cardiac